Got an itch for a steelhead the other day so I got up early and found myself in line at Reiter at 5:15 Thursday morning.
Forgot what a mess that place is as its been years since I've been there. Let everyone race to their spots and took my time getting down. Found a rock above the creek and started fishing. Using a float and small 1/16 oz jig in shrimpy colors. 3rd cast, bam fish on! Big chromer cartwheeling down the run. Felt like a jerk chasing the fish down river! Got it to the bank and ping! hook comes out. SH.... Back to my rock. 3 casts later, bam fish on! and gone.... sh...... Then the bite died.
I got frustrated real quick with the people and the constant pounding of one boulder pocket so I headed down stream. Got to the top of the Cable Hole in the fast stuff. Dropped the jig in behind a boulder and watched a 8# rocket come up and inhale it! Through divine intervention of some kind, I was able to keep the fish in the general area and eventually work his head into one of the gaps in the rocks where I could tail him. Beautiful buck!
Re rigged, checked my knots, went back to that rock. 2 drops later my float streaks off across the river.
That fish exited the run in T-minus 0 seconds and before I could get off my perch, was headin back up into the run at just a slightly slower speed then it left. It did 3 big cartwheels before I was able to get tight to it again and then ping! hook pops out. SH......
By then it was time for me to get home and to work. I left thoroughly humbled and remembering why I love summer run steelhead so much.
After guiding anglers for the last 10 years, I had kind of lost the spark. This last winter I thought to myself as I was fighting a fish that I was no longer excited about it, and it made me sad. When I hooked that first fish the other day, my heart started pounding, ears started ringing, and hands got a little shaky. The spark was back and I was happy to meet my old friend.
Fish was dynamite on the bbq, wife was happy, and I'm left with a rekindled steelhead spirit. Time to go pour some more jig heads!
sorry for the crappy cell phone pic, generally not my style.
